Xie Ci froze for a few seconds. Her fine strands of hair swept across his brow. Carrying a light floral fragrance, his breathing tightened, the skin on the back of his neck involuntarily tensing.

“You really do seem to have a fever…..”

Xu You didn’t notice Xie Ci’s abnormality and freed her hand to brush aside the hair on his forehead, pressing the back of her hand against it to feel carefully.

He stood there obediently, eyes lowered, his deep black lashes catching a bit of light, a smile spreading from the corners of his mouth.

The more he smiled, the more he couldn’t stop.

Xu You was confused by his laughter, “Should we go to the hospital to have a look?”

“What time is it now?” Xie Ci’s tone was indifferent as he pulled her wrist down and held it in his hand.

Xu You rotated her wrist and lowered her head to take out her phone to look.

Almost ten o’clock.

So late, and it was New Year’s Eve. Who knew if the hospital had closed or not……

Still hesitating in place, Chen Xiuyun called, telling her to hurry back.

This time, her mother’s tone was much firmer. Xu You couldn’t continue to stall and agreed with several acknowledgments.

“You have to go back?” he asked.

Xu You nodded, “My mom is urging me. You should also go home early.”

“Okay, I’ll walk you back.”

The distance from here to the residential complex wasn’t far, just a few streets away. On the way back, Xie Ci interlocked his ten fingers with hers, palm pressed against palm.

She retrieved the container at the security room. An old radio transmitted scratchy opera music. The security guard handed the thermos box out through the window to Xu You, chuckling, “Still outside so late.”

Xu You took it, “About to go home. Grandpa, are you watching the Spring Festival Gala?”

“Watching, watching.”

The residential complex security guard was an older gentleman. Xu You once heard her parents chatting and learned that this old man had a bitter fate—his wife died early, and his son was also disappointing, fond of gambling and owing a pile of debts outside. He married a wife who was also domineering. The man was incompetent and was caught having an affair with a mistress outside. The woman’s family made a huge scene. Unable to stay at home, the old man came out to work as a security guard at this age.

Hearing Xu You talk about these things, Xie Ci’s expression was calm and indifferent. He suddenly said: “Oh… an affair.”

After walking a few more steps, she suddenly reacted and looked at him: “Why are you alone today?”

“…What?”

“Why are you spending New Year’s Eve alone?”

“I’ve always been alone.”

She didn’t understand, then heard him say, “I’ve been living alone since middle school.”

“Middle school?!!” Xu You was shocked, thinking Xie Ci was joking, “Why…….”

“Oh, I had a fight with my dad.” His expression was normal, his words light and breezy.

“……..”

Xu You sensitively detected that Xie Ci’s emotions were a bit off. She couldn’t help but recall the last time in the principal’s office when his father slapped him hard. She intuitively felt that Xie Ci and his family must have had some conflict. But she wasn’t a person with heavy curiosity, and moreover, as an outsider, it wasn’t appropriate to pry into other people’s family affairs, so she swallowed the words that came to her lips.

They walked quietly for several minutes, almost reaching the building where Xu You lived.

She stopped and thought before saying: “Although I don’t know what conflicts you have with your dad and mom, you can talk with them properly. After all, they’re your parents….”

“My mom hasn’t been with my dad for a long time.”

Xu You was a bit confused and didn’t react to the meaning of this sentence.

Xie Ci said, “When I was twelve or thirteen, my dad had an affair. My mom jumped from the second floor in front of me. She fell onto the lawn and didn’t die. Later, after coming out of the hospital, the two divorced. That woman in my dad’s house is only a few years older than me. Very disgusting. A few years after my mom divorced my dad, she remarried.”

When he said these things, he was very calm, his expression showing no change at all, as if talking about someone else’s family affairs, unrelated to himself.

His unruly adolescence was filled with rebellion against family, parents, and even school. Not wanting to stay in that home, he moved out to live alone. Puppy love, not studying, mixing with people in society. Girlfriends were dated one after another, becoming a no-good punk in others’ eyes.

Xu You’s heart clenched with an indescribable feeling. She lowered her head and slowly said, “I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“Just now… I didn’t mean to say that to you.” About that security guard matter.

Xie Ci’s expression was calm.

“That…..” Xu You racked her brains thinking, for the first time not knowing how to speak.

Anything she said seemed wrong.

“You should go up.” Xie Ci put his hands in his pants pockets and took two steps back.

Xu You looked up, only then realizing that unknowingly they had already reached downstairs.

She didn’t understand worldly matters and didn’t know how to deal with this kind of situation. Hearing these heavy past events, she wanted to say something, at least to make sure Xie Ci wasn’t sad right now….. yet still couldn’t open her mouth, afraid that no matter what she said, she might accidentally hurt him……

After hesitating for a long while, Chen Xiuyun made several more urging phone calls.

Xu You turned to the side and answered softly: “Mom, I’m downstairs. I’ll come up right away.”

“Hurry up. You’re a girl. It’s so late, don’t always stay outside.”

“I know.”

“How much longer?”

“Right away…..”

“……”

The phone on that end hung up. Xu You put away her phone, turned around to see Xie Ci. Before she could speak, he spoke first, “Bye bye.”

Xu You’s thoughts stalled. She could only ask: “Are you in a very bad mood?”

“No.” he answered.

“Really?”

“I’ve gotten used to it long ago. You go home.” Xie Ci smiled.

Xu You nodded. She looked at him and said worriedly: “Then you go home quickly and call me.”

“Okay.” he agreed.

“Xie Ci, wait—” Her expression hesitant, she called him back.

Xie Ci turned his head.

“You…..”

“I’m fine.”

The voice-controlled light in the stairwell was broken. Xu You slowly groped her way upstairs in the pitch darkness. Walking to the second floor, Xu You’s footsteps halted, her hand tightly gripping the handrail beside her.

—-

“——Xie Ci!”

An urgent female voice suddenly rang out in the quiet residential complex, seeming especially abrupt in this kind of late night.

The person leaning under the streetlight smoking paused in his movements, raising his head to the side.

Xu You ran over from not far away.

Afraid he had left, she ran very urgently the whole way.

Just after going upstairs, Xu You’s mind kept thinking about Xie Ci’s appearance when he said goodbye to her at the end, turning and leaving. His back was a bit lonely and desolate. She didn’t know how to describe that feeling. Anyway, there was a thought in her heart—she couldn’t let him be alone……

She couldn’t let him just walk away like that.

Xie Ci saw her but didn’t move or speak. The cigarette between his fingertips fell to the ground.

“Xie, Xie Ci.” Xu You finally reached in front of him, her breath not yet even, breathing up and down.

Unable to speak, she simply hugged his waist, her head pressed against his chest, her heart uncontrollably beating wildly.

Xie Ci stood dazed and stunned in place, forgetting to react.

For a long time.

Xu You raised her chin and asked: “Are you alone tonight?”

“Mm.”

Xie Ci paused for a while, as if organizing his emotions. The voice that came out was hoarse to the extreme.

“How did you get here?”

“Drove.”

“Then you….. wait for me in the car. I’ll go up first. After my mom and dad fall asleep, I’ll run down to keep you company.”

Xu You’s heart couldn’t bear it, so she added: “Our family has a tradition—on New Year’s Eve night, we don’t turn off the lights when we sleep. If you’re afraid, just look at the lights in our home.”

“Okay.”

—

This kind of crazy thing, Xu You rarely did, to the point that hiding in her covers, watching time pass bit by bit, even she thought it was absurd.

Stuffy under the blanket in winter, the hot air she exhaled quickly blurred the phone screen. She patiently wiped away the water vapor with her fingers over and over, her eyes not even blinking.

The sounds outside gradually disappeared. The house was completely quiet. Her parents had fallen asleep early.

As soon as twelve o’clock arrived, various firecrackers crackled downstairs. All kinds of fireworks and firecrackers merrily made noise.

Xu You timed it precisely, got out of bed with her coat on, quietly pushed open the bedroom door, tiptoed to the entrance to change shoes. She put the keys in her pocket and held her breath as she closed the door.

Running all the way downstairs, she reacted. Just now, walking too hastily, she forgot to agree on a location with Xie Ci.

Xu You gripped her phone tightly and turned two circles in place. Just as she was preparing to call him, a honk suddenly sounded from not far away.

She looked in the direction of the sound.

Xie Ci’s left hand extended out the window, waving twice.

She jogged over and opened the passenger door.

The car hadn’t been turned off. A tobacco smell permeated the cabin.

Xie Ci supported the car window with one hand, talking on the phone with someone. Seeing Xu You get in the car and sit properly, he turned on the heat. The car locked.

“Wait a moment. Right away.” Xie Ci glanced sideways.

Xu You heard his words and nodded, “It’s fine. You talk.”

On the other end of the phone was Song Yifan. Hearing the movement, he teased, “You two are romantic enough.”

“Mm.”

Seeing that Xu You had come, how could Xie Ci still have the mind to talk with him? He said perfunctorily: “That’s it then. I’m hanging up.”

“Hey damn, don’t hang up. I haven’t finished talking, brother.”

Song Yifan was so angry he rolled his eyes. To think he specially snuck out from home and arranged for a large group of people to go accompany Xie Ci to hang out. After all that, this year the guy had his wife to keep him company.

“What is it? Can you hurry up or not?” Xie Ci was urging again.

Song Yifan cursed under his breath and hurriedly said: “Tomorrow bring sister-in-law out to eat together.”

“How many of you?”

“Not many. Just Yi-bastard, Brother Cheng, Big Pear can also be called tomorrow…..”

“We’ll see.”

“Damn, don’t just say ‘we’ll see.’ Everyone came out. Give a definite answer. You know several of us ran out and specifically got hotel rooms just to accompany you. As a result, you’re good—without a word, you abandoned your brothers and left with your wife. Are we brothers or not, Xie Ci?” Song Yifan clamored.

Xie Ci hadn’t made a sound yet when someone else had already taken over the phone.

Chen Jingyi walked to a secluded corner, gripping the phone, her voice restrained: “You blocked my number?”

Xie Ci’s eyes looked at Xu You. She seemed to find waiting a bit boring, so she turned her head to focus on looking outside the window, watching the fireworks with great interest, even taking several photos with her phone.

He tugged at the corner of his mouth and answered the other side lazily, “Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Don’t provoke Xu You.”

Xie Ci lost his patience. Without waiting for a reaction from that side, he hung up the phone after speaking.

Xu You heard her name and thought he was calling her. She turned her head and asked: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

The night was deep and quiet. Inside the car was only dim, warm orange light. Xu You sat quietly and calmly upright in the seat, her shoulder-length hair loose, wearing a cute little bear coat. Her face was slightly red from running, her eyelashes like thin fans.

Anyway, she was particularly alluring in a different way.

“Did you cut your hair?” He stared at her for a while and suddenly asked.

Xu You made an “ah” sound, not expecting him to say this. She nodded and said embarrassedly: “Yesterday Mom cut it for me at home.”

Xie Ci smiled and pulled her wrist over.

Lowering his eyes, he saw her slender white wrist, her skin clean. He couldn’t help but lean in to kiss it.

She was struck as if by lightning by this action, quickly withdrawing her hand, her body rigid, “Don’t do this. There are people outside…”

“Mm…… no one.” Xie Ci was casual.

Xu You still wasn’t reassured and distanced herself from him a bit, “Let’s just chat.”

“Chat about what?” he asked.

Xu You thought carefully and said very calmly: “What do you usually like to do?”

“………..”

Xie Ci paused for a long time before saying, “Nothing.”

Seeing her choked appearance, he smiled, “What about you? Studying?”

Xu You shook her head, “Who would like studying?”

“You do. You’re always studying.”

Anyway, in the past when Xie Ci sat behind her, as soon as class ended, he would see her either copying notes or doing test papers, seemingly tireless. No matter how he teased her, she wouldn’t acknowledge him or get angry, like a rigid, honest scholar, singlemindedly reading sage books.

The scholar said: “Mm, because my grades have always been very good, so I’ve gotten used to studying.”

“Yo.” Xie Ci raised his eyebrows, “So young, yet your image means a lot to you.”

Xu You laughed.

He asked lightly: “Where will you go to university in the future?”

She thought about it and said half-jokingly: “New Oriental.”

“Going to Beijing?”

Xu You looked at him, puzzled: “Why are you asking this?”

Xie Ci looked at her, “What do you think?”

“……..”

“By the way.” Xu You suddenly remembered something. She said, “Tomorrow morning, I’ll accompany you to the hospital for an injection.”

“Why?”

“You have a fever.”

“Taking medicine is fine.”

Xu You frowned disapprovingly: “Some illnesses can’t be dragged out, plus it’s such cold weather.”

He didn’t speak.

“Okay?” Xu You was still asking.

Xie Ci’s gaze at her became increasingly wrong.

This time Xu You reacted quickly, knowing what he wanted to do. She covered the lower half of her face, only showing her eyes, and said softly: “No kissing. You have to promise me first.”

He laughed and leaned over to kiss her clean, fair hand.

Xu You’s ears turned red because of his action.

Xie Ci leaned forward again, smiling as he kissed her eyes.

“You’re annoying.”

“Even if you don’t let me kiss you, I’m still going to kiss you.” His eyes were heavy, his voice hoarse. The two were at a distance where they were almost touching.

She dodged backward.

Xie Ci pulled Xu You’s hand down, supporting himself with one hand on the glass, tilting his head to block her soft lips.

Lips of moderate thickness—kissing them felt very comfortable.

He pinched her jaw, tirelessly biting and holding, his mouth full of intoxicating fragrance, tingling all the way to his chest.